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I saw an interesting headline in yesterday's SunTimes that suggests that Emanuel'a #1 yes man Forrest Claypool might be in the running for a move from being CTA president to being the mayor's next chief of staff.

I saw it too, however I wonder if it is just rank speculation, or someone is going to listen to something.

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Looks more to me like he's deliberately tone deaf to what you stated your position to be.

Yeah and he really has his head in the sand if he thinks Claypool is the best thing since chocolate cake. Obviously, Forest Claypool's middle name must not be Glen because he hasn't really done a thing for them or the nw side since he became president. He just seems to be a yes man to the Emanuels and Terry Petersons and Tammy Chase' of the world. Maybe that will get him a promotion. Hopefully the next pres takes better care of the nw side. I've just about given up on the current administration.

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Yeah and he really has his head in the sand if he thinks Claypool is the best thing since chocolate cake. Obviously, Forest Claypool's middle name must not be Glen because he hasn't really done a thing for them or the nw side since he became president. He just seems to be a yes man to the Emanuels and Terry Petersons and Tammy Chase' of the world. Maybe that will get him a promotion. Hopefully the next pres takes better care of the nw side. I've just about given up on the current administration.

I'm not sure about your hierarchy of yes men,* but obviously they all take their cue from Fearless Leader.

*i.e., I think Emanuel dictates to Claypool who tells Peterson to rubber stamp.

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Roe Conn was promoting an ABC7* report on Emanuel's drivers getting even more ballsy in running red lights, one of his sidekicks asked "Doesn't Emanuel ride the Brown Line," to which Roe said "if he did, he would have set it on fire by now."

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*Not sure why he still has regular guests from ABC7 when he is now on WGN radio, but whatever.

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Roe Conn was promoting an ABC7* report on Emanuel's drivers getting even more ballsy in running red lights, one of his sidekicks asked "Doesn't Emanuel ride the Brown Line," to which Roe said "if he did, he would have set it on fire by now."

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*Not sure why he still has regular guests from ABC7 when he is now on WGN radio, but whatever.

​Is that why there were a number of fires on the track at Sedgwick a few weeks ago? Because Rahm was riding it?

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Roe Conn was promoting an ABC7* report on Emanuel's drivers getting even more ballsy in running red lights, one of his sidekicks asked "Doesn't Emanuel ride the Brown Line," to which Roe said "if he did, he would have set it on fire by now."

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*Not sure why he still has regular guests from ABC7 when he is now on WGN radio, but whatever.

​Yeah not just running red lights now but also driving on the wrong side of the street. 

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Just saw it on the chicagobus.org homepage. He no longer has to dodge the questions about if he'll be Rahm's next chief of staff.

​The real question is whether Rahm will let the CT Board do its job and hire someone competent, or was lying about doing something about his nonlistening persona.We shall see.

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​The real question is whether Rahm will let the CT Board do its job and hire someone competent, or was lying about doing something about his nonlistening persona.We shall see.

​It's making me wonder if Claypool didn't want to be President to begin with. Something isn't adding up about that. With all this mess going on, including possible budget cuts and trying to find some kind of funding for projects and a bidder for the 7000s, I consider Claypool a f'ing coward.....

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​It's making me wonder if Claypool didn't want to be President to begin with. Something isn't adding up about that. With all this mess going on, including possible budget cuts and trying to find some kind of funding for projects and a bidder for the 7000s, I consider Claypool a f'ing coward.....

​Actually there's nothing unusual about this kind of move. When officials in government get reelected in different levels of government, especially in the executive branches, there tend to be these types of shuffles among the appointed officials. Claypool becoming the mayor's chief of staff has nothing to do with whether he wanted to be CTA President. And as Busjack and others noted, Claypool isn't even legally qualified to head CTA to begin with. 

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​Actually there's nothing unusual about this kind of move. When officials in government get reelected in different levels of government, especially in the executive branches, there tend to be these types of shuffles among the appointed officials. Claypool becoming the mayor's chief of staff has nothing to do with whether he wanted to be CTA President. And as Busjack and others noted, Claypool isn't even legally qualified to head CTA to begin with. 

​Understandable but if he wasn't qualified then why did they hired him??? This is getting interesting! xD

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​Understandable but if he wasn't qualified then why did they hired him??? This is getting interesting! xD

​It seems to be standard operating procedure for Chicago mayors to appoint CTA Presidents lacking in transit experience as stipulated by state law. It's been going on for decades. Busjack can point out how Daley also bucked the law in that regard. 

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​It seems to be standard operating procedure for Chicago mayors to appoint CTA Presidents lacking in transit experience as stipulated by state law. It's been going on for decades. Busjack can point out how Daley also bucked the law in that regard. 

​Now you're getting to the good part! xD I'm kidding but I guess that sums it up about Chicago.

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​Understandable but if he wasn't qualified then why did they hired him??? This is getting interesting! xD

​Because he is Emanuel's political buddy, has some business experience, and somehow Emanuel didn't want Rodriguez there, but gave him another job, which Rodriguez quickly left for the private sector.

Another issue is that if you mean the CT Board with reference to "they," the relationship changed from "the mayor has influence because he appoints 4 board members" to the board abdicated its duty to appoint a General Manager in the early 1990s under Daley the Second (I see that Jajuan's comment to that effect just popped up).

The more curious matter is that Claypool only looked good when he was battling the Strogers, but then left the County Board to "create a business" (Rise Health) but the only thing the business did when he was there was put corporate speak on its website. Once we was gone, they developed a service, and no longer acknowledge his existence. If he were actually good in the private sector, he wouldn't have jumped at the chance for a $194,00/year (now $215,000/year) job. I don't think he was Rauner before Rauner.

Jajuan is correct that there usually is a turnover of functionaries are the beginning of a new term, but this seems more like that the opening was fortuitous because Lisa Schrader quit. On the other hand, the article pointing out that Claypool was the chief of staff for Daley twice indicates that nobody wants to stay around for that job (Daley could hold onto one for maybe 18 months).

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​Because he is Emanuel's political buddy, has some business experience, and somehow Emanuel didn't want Rodriguez there, but gave him another job, which Rodriguez quickly left for the private sector.

Another issue is that if you mean the CT Board with reference to "they," the relationship changed from "the mayor has influence because he appoints 4 board members" to the board abdicated its duty to appoint a General Manager in the early 1990s under Daley the Second (I see that Jajuan's comment to that effect just popped up).

The more curious matter is that Claypool only looked good when he was battling the Strogers, but then left the County Board to "create a business" (Rise Health) but the only thing the business did when he was there was put corporate speak on its website. Once we was gone, they developed a service, and no longer acknowledge his existence. If he were actually good in the private sector, he wouldn't have jumped at the chance for a $194,00/year (now $215,000/year) job. I don't think he was Rauner before Rauner.

Jajuan is correct that there usually is a turnover of functionaries are the beginning of a new term, but this seems more like that the opening was fortuitous because Lisa Schrader quit. On the other hand, the article pointing out that Claypool was the chief of staff for Daley twice indicates that nobody wants to stay around for that job (Daley could hold onto one for maybe 18 months).

​So you're telling me that it was a "walk in the park" for Claypool to not only be President but to unprecedentedly get appointed as Chief of Staff??? That was tick for tack between him and the Strogers but I was glad that he left the board. 

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​So you're telling me that it was a "walk in the park" for Claypool to not only be President but to unprecedentedly get appointed as Chief of Staff??? That was tick for tack between him and the Strogers but I was glad that he left the board. 

​Only meant that that district got Bridget Gainer instead of him on the county board.

Not sure if your "walk in the park" references refer to all the Tribune references to Claypool being "hand picked" by Daley and Emanuel for various positions, or that one of them was the Park District. But, apparently, there is a political clique around the Ravenswood neighborhood, which is now in charge.

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​Only meant that that district got Bridget Gainer instead of him on the county board.

Not sure if your "walk in the park" references refer to all the Tribune references to Claypool being "hand picked" by Daley and Emanuel for various positions, or that one of them was the Park District. But, apparently, there is a political clique around the Ravenswood neighborhood, which is now in charge.

​Exactly!!!!

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​Busjack would probably be better at handling the admin and legal mess of FG, not to mention CTA itself :D

​Second time I have been nominated in 2 forums (or is it fora), but as I pointed out then I don't meet statutory qualifications (although I come closer than Claypool did), but, most importantly, I don't have clout in the Lakefront Democratic organization.

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​Second time I have been nominated in 2 forums (or is it fora), but as I pointed out then I don't meet statutory qualifications (although I come closer than Claypool did), but, most importantly, I don't have clout in the Lakefront Democratic organization.

​Anyway it goes, you have my vote of confidence if you ever wanted to infiltrate any part of CTA, RTA, and/or Pace.

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​Second time I have been nominated in 2 forums (or is it fora), but as I pointed out then I don't meet statutory qualifications (although I come closer than Claypool did), but, most importantly, I don't have clout in the Lakefront Democratic organization.

​Not sure where the original post by NewFlyerMCI went, but I agree with it.

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